The Professional Services CRM eBook

a publication

“In spite of constant upheavals in markets, regulations and

compliance, Client Relationship Management (CRM) continues to

define the competitive performance of professional firms.”

Richard Chaplin, CEO & Founder of Managing Partners’ Forum

Professional Services CRM eBook v.2.0.

All material in this eBook is copyright

© Collier Pickard Ltd 2013.

www.metiscrm.co.uk

info.metiscrm.co.uk/blog

info@metiscrm.co.uk

+44 (0)1959 560410

1

In the real world

In a world dominated by local and global standards,

changing business structures, mergers and economic

conditions—client acquisition, development of cross-

sell and up-sell opportunities and client retention

procedures have become critical to survival.

But CRM—Client Relationship Management—has a

dubious reputation.

“It doesn’t work.” “It’s very expensive.” “No-one keeps

the thing up to date, so what’s the point!”

If you’re concerned with acquiring, retaining or developing

client relationships, then improving that reputation is the

new imperative. There are economic benefits to be

derived from embracing CRM across the whole firm—

Business Development, Partners and Professionals—but

there are some things to bear in mind:

There’s a science behind getting it right

There are some cultural issues to address

And you need to focus on it over a long period

…. learning from its output

So it may be time to take advice from the commercial

world, rather than IT experts. Because the practice of

professional services and best practice in CRM are not the

same.

2

Grow revenues

Win new clients. Enhance cross-selling. Improve client

satisfaction.

Well-known research organisations like Aberdeen,

Forrester and Gartner have printed many pages on the

subject of the benefits of CRM. There is evidence to show

that, when properly deployed, a successful CRM system

will increase your revenues by somewhere between

5 and 15%.

The challenge is to create a client-centric culture within

your business. To have a 360° view of the client.

Every Professional throughout your firm must see the

significance of this relationship and act in a manner which

is commensurate with that relationship—and not work

with their own angle on targets and deadlines.

Now, Marketing can target events and campaigns

effectively, enquiry-to-revenue conversion rates are

improved. Partners and Professionals can work with

contented clients and develop up-sell and cross-sell

opportunities. And they improve client knowledge and

client profiling for even more effective future marketing,

by simply using the system.

It’s a perfect circle.

3

Client

knowledge

Client

acquisition

Manage

through

CRM

Optimise

procedures

Data

accuracy

Client

retention

Effective

profiling

Visibility of

client

communications

Client

satisfaction

4

Choosing a direction

One look at the CRM market and confusion reigns. So

many approaches. So many products and services. Which

way is best?

Well—installing a CRM system and providing some user

training doesn’t work. Building CRM into your business

with management and user buy-in does.

Making Phase 1 of the CRM project the biggest and most

complex step doesn’t work. Evolving the CRM system

and bringing the user population with you works.

Believing CRM should only be used by Marketing, Business

Development and Support staff doesn’t work. Leading

everyone from the front by managing through CRM

works.

Turning Professionals into data entry clerks doesn’t work.

But empowering them with the right information at the

right time does.

Assuming that a documented process is the best way to do

things and configuring CRM to mimic this path doesn’t

work. Using built-in software functionality to deliver an

end result does.

To choose a direction, you must consider your level of

CRM maturity at the outset.

5

CRM maturity

We talked about the perfect circle where Marketing gets

more refined and more effective through feedback from all

the other functions of the business. This ensures

revenues grow as targeting gets better and client

retention improves and costs decrease as less effort is

wasted.

But there are some cultural “musts” that need to be in

place before you can realise the “performance guided”

culture of the perfect circle.

Firstly, you need accurate data so that keeping track of

prospect clients and client contacts is easy and up to date.

Then you need the collaborative mindset that allows

people to work together really effectively—without

departmental imperatives getting in the way of true focus

on the client’s needs.

Once this culture exists, you can start mapping “best

practice” from the wide world of CRM onto the specifics of

your firm. This means doing better things … not just

doing things better.

And finally, achieve a level of client focus, which means

the business can be managed by looking at trends, KPIs

and other measurements—all derived as an automatic

by-product of people just doing their jobs through the

CRM tool. Demonstrating the value of the organisation as

greater than the sum of the

Professionals’ billings.

6

The big question

WIIFM … What’s in it for me?

So you’ve embarked on a CRM path and explained the

benefits to the user community. The firm optimises its

business processes, the client is the focus of

measurement and KPIs, retention improves, acquisition

becomes easier and up-selling and cross-selling increases.

But is that enough to create the buy-in that’s

essential? Have you given your people enough motivation

to focus on the accuracy of the information resident within

the CRM system? Because if you haven’t, then buy-in will

wane, data accuracy will suffer and the benefits of

CRM will not be realised.

To make CRM simply successful, you must focus on the

user community and make sure that they get something

out of it. A personal gain. Something gets easier,

quicker, less hassle through using the CRM tool rather than

otherwise.

Recognising the unique challenges associated with user

adoption is essential. Building a strong argument that will

be accepted by such educated professionals is not the

same as “software training”.

7

Education, not training

The purpose of training is to impart a method. A way

of doing things. A set of rules designed to help the

company achieve its business objectives. Deliver against

the big picture.

The purpose of education is to explain the rationale

behind the method, as well as the method itself. If your

user community understands the rationale of the CRM

culture, such as:

What’s in it for the firm?

What’s in it for me?

What’s expected of me?

Who do I let down if I don’t?

then they are much more likely to take more care and

maintain accuracy. And, as we have discussed, accurate

information is the life-blood of successful CRM and

improvement in CRM maturity.

But this education is not a one-time exercise.

If you take feedback from the people using the CRM

system, improve client focus and optimise processes, then

the wider community must be re-educated, the new

rationale explained and expectations managed.

Successful CRM never stops evolving. You keep taking

steps which improve the user experience and client

outcomes.

8

So far in this eBook we’ve talked about processes and

feedback. We even mentioned “best practice”. In the CRM

world there are three inter-locking cogs within the whole

machine:

CRM components

A fourth cog in the machine has emerged in the form of

digital marketing. Some operational CRM software

already exploits inter-operability with email marketing

services, pay-per-click advertising and inbound marketing

tools.

So don’t ignore digital marketing. It could emerge as a

strong player in your strategic marketing and client

acquisition policy of the future.

Operational CRM software handles your data and

day-to-day stuff

Measurement, trends and feedback are provided by

Analytical CRM

Best practice optimises what you do, exploits

emerging technology and evolves as markets change

9

Selecting operational software

Now back to the question of options and choice. You

need to work your way through the maze of technology

platforms—constantly guided by the answer to the big

question:

What’s in it for us?

The answer to the big question will define how each

section of the user community must execute jobs and

perform day-to-day operations—in line with the strategy

for business development.

In turn, this will inform the decision on the user interface

to CRM. Some will need desktop access over a local or

wide area network; others will need web access via a

browser; or off-line access on a laptop; or hand-held

access from a SmartPhone or iPad.

And finally, the mix of user interfaces required will inform

your choice of operational CRM and database location—

on premises, on demand and on the move.

10

STEP

Strategy, Tactics, Execution, Platform

The platform and your choice of operational CRM tools

become obvious as you determine execution. What

works in CRM is aligning the execution of people’s jobs—

what they do every day—to the business development

and client retention tactics you have determined to help

you achieve your strategy.

In other words—you need to understand your corporate

strategy and the marketing and business development

tactics you have in place to deliver the strategic goal.

This, in turn, will help you make an informed choice on

automation processes that will benefit the execution of

people’s jobs. Finally, the choice of platform for CRM

becomes obvious.

Following the STEP approach to CRM works. Just buying

an operational CRM platform does not.

11

Building CRM into your firm with buy-in from your

Professionals works…

Installing a CRM system and providing some user

training doesn’t.

Involving stakeholders but providing strong

leadership works…

Letting everyone have their say and designing a

solution by committee doesn’t.

Evolving the CRM system and bringing the user

population with you works…

Making Phase 1 of the CRM project the biggest and

most complex step doesn’t.

Assuming that your CRM initiative is never finished

works…

Signing off a CRM project as “done” doesn’t.

Empowering your teams with the right information

at the right time works…

Believing CRM should only be used by Marketing and

Support staff doesn’t.

Using built-in software functionality to deliver an end

result works…

Turning Professionals into data entry clerks doesn’t.

Answering the big question and configuring CRM

for personal gain works…

Assuming that a documented process is the best way

to do things and configuring CRM to mimic this path

doesn’t.

Professionalism and passion works… Mandated change doesn’t.

Following the STEP methodology works… Just buying operational CRM software doesn’t.

What works What doesn’t

12

Well, it’s certainly not a wealth of knowledge in

professional services.

But how to conduct professional services is not

the issue here.

The professional services landscape is changing at a faster

pace than ever before. What we offer is experience in

systems to assist in the acquisition, retention and

development of client relationships.

We’ve been doing it successfully for a very long time. In

the 1990’s we worked with leading banks to maximise the

opportunities created by Big Bang—another market

liberalisation.

What gives us the authority to write this

eBook?

You could say our team of sales and marketing

professionals, client service specialists, solutions

architects, technology consultants and project managers

at Collier Pickard has a wealth of experience in CRM.

At the turn of the century, we were helping clients deal

with recession, ensuring that as the decade progressed

they were able to recover faster and stronger than their

competitors.

13

Making CRM and business automation deliver – in bull

markets and in recession – has evolved from a “black art”

into a structured science at Collier Pickard. Our STEP

methodology is the culmination of a deep understanding

of what works and what doesn’t in CRM.

As you respond to a tough and rapidly changing market,

we offer our clients advice, guidance and expertise, in the

same way you offer support to your clients.

Collier Pickard is a niche player in the specialist world of

CRM. We provide CRM Best Practice advice and

guidance, and we implement simply successful CRM—

both operational and analytical systems.

Our experience in CRM spans the whole gamut of

solutions from SMEs to global solutions. And it includes a

fair number of professional services firms

Bevan Brittan, Citibank IPB, IBB Solicitors, Paris Smith, Pinsent

Masons, Russell-Cooke, SGH Martineau, The Wilkes Partnership,

Veale Wasbrough Vizards, Ward Hadaway

Arthritis Research UK, BBC, Boosey & Hawkes, Brammer,

Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, CGGVeritas, The College

of Law, Darley Stud Management, emap, Griffiths & Armour,

Langleys, Macdonald Hotels & Resorts, SolarCentury, and many

more.

14

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The Old Calf House, Chevening Road, Sundridge, Kent TN14 6AB

T: +44 (0) 1959 560410 F: +44 (0) 1959 569364

info@metiscrm.co.uk

info.metiscrm.co.uk/blog

www.metiscrm.co.uk

© Collier Pickard Ltd 2013. All rights reserved.